Electrical switch-operating and signal apparatus



fi ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. DUTREY.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH OPERATING AND SIGNAL APPARATUS.

No. 552,053. Patented Dec. 24, 1895.,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. J. DUTREY. ELECTRICAL SWITCH OPERATING AND SIGNAL APPARATUS. No. 552,053. Patented Dec. 24, 1895.

ANDREW H.6RANAM. PflDTD-UTHO.WASHINGTON. 0.6

erably arranged between the rails 1 at a sufti- UNITED STAT S PATENT rrrcn.

JUSTIN DUTREY, OF NEV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH-OPERATING AND SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,053, dated December 24, 1895.

Application filed May 25, 1895. Serial No. 550,669. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JUsrIN DUTREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Switch-Operating and Signal Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in electrical snitch-operating and signal apparatus, and its novelty and many advantages will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan View illustrating a portion of a railway-track and turnout, together with my improved switch-operating apparatus and an electric car equipped with devices through the medium of which an electric current may be shunted when desired through the electromagnets of the switchoperating mechanism to throw the switch. Fig. 1 is a diagram of a modification. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating a block or section of a railwaytrack including a turn out, together with my improved switch operating mechanism and two locomotives equipped with devices through the medium of which an electric current may be shunted through the switch-opcrating mechanism when desired, and also equipped with the signal apparatus which is adapted to apprise the engineer of each train of the presence of the other on the block or section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken through the turn-out or switch and the switchoperating mechanism with the switch in its normal position, and Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the switch-operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view.

Referring. by numerals to said drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 3, and 4. thereof, 1 indicates the main-track rails of a railway.

2 indicates one or more switch rails or points.

3 indicates an auxiliary rail which is prefcient distance from the switch rails or points 2.

4 indicates an electric trolley-car which is, in addition to the usual overhead trolley, (not illustrated,) provided on its under side with the vertically-adjustable spring-pressed trolley 5, designed to engage the auxiliary track 3, and is also provided with the circuit-closer 6, comprising the movable contact 7, connected by wire 8 with trolley-wire 9, and the contact 11, connected by wire 10 with the trolley 5, and 13 indicates the armature-lever of the switch-operating mechanism, through the medium of which the switch-points are moved as presently described. The said armaturelever 13, which is disposed horizontally, is fulcrumed at an intermediate point of its length on two screws 14, mounted in posts 15, and it is provided with the arm 16, as shown. This arm 16 is connected by a rod 17 with the switch-points 2, and in order to render the movement of the said rod 17 and the switchpoints more easy, I extend the rod beyond the switch-points and provide it with one or more rollers 18, (see Fig. 3,) which are designed to travel on the plate 19 and sustain the weight of the switch-points, so as to permit of them being very easily moved. Said rod 17 is also provided with springs 17 to hold the switch-points up level with the other rails.

The armature-lever 13, and consequently the switch-points 2, are normally held in the positions shown in Fig. 3 by the weight 20, which is adjustably fixed on a threaded rod 21, extending from one end of the armaturelever; and said armature-lever and also the switch-points are moved, when it is desired to have a car go on the siding, through the medium of the electromagnets 22 23. (Better shown in Figs. 3 and 1.) The electromagnet or electromagnets 23 are arranged on a switchsupport beneath one end of the armature-le- Ver 13, and the electromagnets 23 are arranged upon a similar support above the opposite end of said armature-lever, and by virtue of this it will be seen that the said utilized to throw and hold the switch in one position, which is a desideratum.

The two pairs 22 23 of electromagnets are connected by a wire 24, and the magnets 22 are connected bya wire with the auxiliary rail 3, while the magnets 23 are connected by a wire 26 with one or both main track-rails 1. By reason of this it will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 that when a car comes over the au-X iliary rail 3, and the motorman lowers the trolley 5 to engage with said rail 3, and closes the circuit-closer 6, the shunt-current will pass from the trolley-wire 9, which may be connected to the motor (not illustrated) in the ordinary manner through wire'8, contact 7, wire 10, trolley 5, rail 3, wire 25, electromagnets 22, wire 24:, electromagnets 23, and wire 26 to the rails 1, which are utilized as return-conductors, and consequently the arm ature-lever 13 will be rocked and the switchrails will be moved to close the main track and open the turn-out, and will beheld-in such positionso long 'as'the trolley 5 is in engagement with rail 3, and'when'the trolleypasses off said rail 3 they will be returned to their normal illustrated position by the weight 20. For'the above-mentioned reasons the rail 3 shouldbe made long enough and should be so arranged as 'to'enable the car to pass onto the switcl1-rails before its trolley leaves the rail WVhen it is desired to'use my'improvem'ents in conjunction with ears other than'electric cars, such cars may be equipped with batteries from which the electromotive force to throw'the switch may be taken, as shownin the diagram, Fig. 1.

Referring'to Fig. 2 of'thedrawings, lindicates the main-track'rails of one'block' or section, 2 indicates the switch-rails, which are connected to armature lever -l3 in the manner'before described,'and 3O 31 indicate=two locomotives on a single track.

In organizing my improved switch-operating and signal apparatus, Iarrange an'auX- iliary'rail 3'in the manner before described and provide in addition to the same arail or "conductor 32, which'is insulated'from the rail 3, and ipassesthe same as'showmandequip e'achlocomotive with a battery or other electric generator 33 and with an incandescent electric light or other visible or'audiblesig- 'n'al 34,'whichis electrically connectedwith the battery. The generator33 of each loco- 'motive'is electrically connected by a'wire36 with one or-more of the traveling wheels,'and the light or bell 34 of each locomotive'islikewise connected'by a wire 37 with atrolley '5, similar to'that before described, whiclrbears and travels upon the intermediate rail or conductor 32, and is also designed to bear and travel upon'the auxiliary rail 3.

From the foregoing it will be seen that-when tive-wheels, track-rails 1, wire 36, battery 33, signal 34, wire 37, and trolley 50f locomotive 30, rail or conductor 32, and trolley 5, wire 37, and signal 34, of locomotive 31. hen the circuit is thus completed the lamps 34 in the cabs of both locomotives will be lighted, or if bells be used they will be sounded, so as to apprise the engineer of each locomotive of the presence of the other and enable him to take the proper precautions to avoid a casualty.

When it is desired by the engineer of a locomotive,.such as 30 or 31, to pass the switch withoutchanging the position of the same, it is simply necessary for him to raise the trolley 5 while the engine passes over the rail 3. WVhen, however, it is desired to change the position of the switch, the engineer leaves the trolley 5 in its normal depressed position,

so as to enable it to engageand travel over the track 3. WVhen this'isdone and thetrolley '5 engages'the said rail 3, 'the'current will pass from the generator-33 through wire '36, traveling-wheels, rails 1, wire 26 electromagnets 23, wire 24,-electromagnets 22, wire 25, rail '3, trolley 5, wire 37, and-signal back-to generator 33, and'energizingthesaidmagnets 22 23 will throw the switch and hold it in the mannerbeforedescribed while the trolley 5 remains in contact with the rail 3.

ment of the parts of my improved apparatus, in order to impart a full, clear and exact understanding'of thesame, but *I do 11ot-desire to be understood as-confining myself to such construction'and arrangement, as such changes or -modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within'thescope of the invention.

'Having described my invention, what I claim is -1. In an'electric-switch operatingapparatus, the combination ofthe main'track rails,

turnoutrails, a switch point or points,- anarmaturelever fulcrumed at an intermediate point ofits'len'gth, a connection between said armature lever and the switchpoint or points,

anelectro magnet disposed so as'to enable it when energized to draw one end of the armature lever 1n one direction, another electro magnet disposed so as toenable' it when energized to draw the oppositeendof the arma-' ture lever in the'oppos ite direction, and a sultable means for energizing said electro "magnets, substantially as specified.

' 2. In an electric switch operating apparatus, the combination of the main track rails,-

turnoutrails, a switch point orpoints, an ar-- mature lever fulcrumed at an intermediate point of its length, a connection between said armature lever and the switch point or points, an electro-magnet disposed so as to enable it when energized to draw one end of the armature lever in one direction, another electro magnet disposed so as to enable it when energized to draw the opposite end of the armature lever in the opposite direction, a weight connected with one end of the armature lever and adapted to normally hold said lever and the switch point or points in one position, substantially as specified.

3. In an electric switch operating apparatus, the combination of the main track rails, turnout rail, a switch point or points, an auxiliary rail 3, an armature lever fulcrumed at an intermediate point of its length, a connection between said armature lever and the switch point or points, an electro-magnet disposed so as to enable it when energized to draw one end of the armature lever in one direction, another electro-magnet disposed so as to enable it when energized to draw the opposite end of the armature lever in the opposite direction, an electrical connection between said electro-magnets, an electrical connection between one of said magnets and one of the main track rails, an electrical connection between the other electro magnet and the rail 3, and a car carrying a contact device for engaging the main track rail and a contact device for engaging the rail 3, and having said contact devices electrically connected with a source of electro motive power, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an electric switch operating apparatus, the combination of the main track rails,

, turnout rails,a switch point or points, an auxiliary rail 3, an armature lever fulcrumed at an intermediate point of its length, a connection between said armature lever and the switch point or points, an electro-magnet disposed so as to enable it when energized to draw one end of the armature lever in one direction,another electro-magnet disposed so as to enable it when energized to draw the opposite end of the armature lever in the opposite direction, an electrical connection between said electromagnets,an electrical connection between one .of said magnets and one of the main track rails, an electrical connection between the other electro magnet and the rail 3, a rail 32, arranged in line with the rail 3, and having the portion passing said rail 3, and insulated therefrom, a car carrying a contact device for engaging the main track rail, a contact device 5, for engaging the rails 32, and 3, an electric generator electrically connected with the contact device for engaging the main track rail, an electrical signal connected with the generator and an electrical connection between said signal and the contact device 5, allsubstantially as specified.

5. In an electric switch operating apparatus, the combination of the main track rails, turnout rails, a switch point or points, the armature lever fulcrumed at an intermediate point of its length so as to rock in a vertical plane and having the arm 16, the rod connecting the said arm and the switch point or points and carrying a roller adapted to travel on a base, a weight connected with one end of said armature lever and adapted to return it and the switch point orpoints to their normal position and normally hold them in such positions, an electro magnet disposed below one end of the armature lever, an electro magnet disposed above the opposite end of the armature lever, and a suitable means for energizing said electro-magnets to rock the armature lever and throw the switch point or points, substantially-as specified.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JUSTIN DUTREY.

Witnesses:

D. I. DOWERS, GABRIEL FERNANDEZ. 

